On the vine

A look at this season’s grape harvest at New Hampshire wineries

Extreme heat and unusually dry weather this summer have caused New Hampshire winemakers, in at least a few cases, to harvest their grapes earlier than normal. As of Sept. 15 more than 91 percent of the Granite State was experiencing “abnormally dry” conditions, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor, with 48 percent under a moderate, severe or extreme drought.

Despite the drought, this year’s crop is looking to be a bountiful one at Black Bear Vineyard in Salisbury. Owner Ted Jarvis said the largest grape harvest he ever had was back in 2016, also a drought year.

Black Bear Vineyard is getting ready for its third annual Harvest Fest, happening the weekend of Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25, when visitors will be able to watch the fruit getting destemmed and crushed before tasting samples of the juice used to create the wines. Each day will also feature on site food trucks, local vendors and live music acts.

“High and dry is the way the vines like it,” Jarvis said. “Everything is looking fantastic on the vineyard this year. We’re super-excited about our production that we’re going to end up with.”

In Amherst, LaBelle Winery held its annual grape harvest on Sept. 18, which is about 10 days ahead of schedule, according to co-owner and winemaker Amy LaBelle. With the help of Vineyard Club members, family and friends — and this year, the public — winery staff spent the morning gathering seven varieties of fresh grapes, each used to produce wines on site.

“We haven’t had much rainfall, and so that means our grapes are smaller and the skin’s a little bit thicker and tighter than it would normally be,” LaBelle said of this year’s crop impact.

Tracking acid and sugar levels in grape samples helps to determine their targeted harvest date. The weather patterns of the last few weeks leading up to harvest are always the most crucial, LaBelle said — in a perfect world, this means cooler nights in the high 40s to 50 degrees.

“For us, we like to leave them just a little extra [longer] to when the nights begin to dip into lower temperatures,” she said. “When the temperatures drop enough, the grape begins to convert its malic acid into more palate-friendly acids … and that gives us a much more pleasant-tasting wine. It would be the perfect season if we could end with just a few cool nights.”

Visit a local vineyard
• Appolo Vineyards (49 Lawrence Road, Derry, 421-4675, appolovineyards.com)
• Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline, 244-3165, averillhousevineyard.com)
• Birch Wood Vineyards (199 Rockingham Road, Derry, 965-4359, birchwoodvineyards.com)
• Black Bear Vineyard (289 New Road, Salisbury, 648-2811, blackbearvineyard.com)
• Flag Hill Distillery & Winery (297 N. River Road, Lee, 659-2949, flaghill.com)
• Fulchino Vineyard (187 Pine Hill Road, Hollis, 438-5984, fulchinovineyard.com)
• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst; 14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898; labellewinery.com)
• Shara Vineyards (82 Currier Road, Concord, 836-9077, sharavineyards.com)
• Sweet Baby Vineyard (260 Stage Road, Hampstead, 347-1738, sweetbabyvineyard.com)
• Zorvino Vineyards (226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463, zorvino.com)

On Saturday, Oct. 2, at 11 a.m., LaBelle Winery will host the fourth and final session of its Walks in the Vineyard series in Amherst. Vineyard manager Josh Boisvert and wine educator Marie King will lead attendees on an educational walk through the property that will focus on the vines’ overall life cycles. You’ll also get to taste four different types of wines during your visit.

For some other local vineyards, the grape harvest season is already underway — Appolo Vineyards in Derry kicked off its harvest on Sept. 3 and will hold a ticketed harvest and stomp festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25, while for Fulchino Vineyard in Hollis, the season began “in spurts” over the course of several days dating back to late August. Owner and winemaker Al Fulchino said he’s also planning to bring back the Hollis Grape Festival for a sixth year on an upcoming date, likely in October.

Grape harvest and winery events

• Saturday, Sept. 24: The outdoor wine garden at Shara Vineyards will be open for its only day of the month for tastings and tours, from 2 to 5 p.m. Tours are $10 per person.
• Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25: Black Bear Vineyard celebrates its grape harvest season with its third annual Harvest Fest, beginning at 11 a.m. both days. Guests will have the chance to learn how wine is produced from grapes grown right on the vineyard, and each day will feature live music and food trucks on site. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased through Eventbrite.
• Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25: Appolo Vineyards holds a harvest and stomp festival, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. In addition to grape harvesting opportunities, there will be winemaking tours starting at 10 a.m., grape foot stomping and more. Tickets are $50 per person and include a catered lunch and other amenities.
• Sunday, Sept. 25: Averill House Vineyard holds its next Taste, Tour and Bottle Experience, an ongoing series of events held most Sundays, at noon and 2 p.m. Attendees get a guided tour of the winery and vineyard and will learn directly from staff all about the winemaking process. The cost is $59 per person and includes your own bottled wine to take home.
• Sunday, Oct. 2: LaBelle Winery hosts the fourth and final session of its Walks in the Vineyard series at 11 a.m. in Amherst, featuring an educational walk and up to four wine tastings. Admission is $32.55 per person and includes tax.
• Wednesday, Oct. 19: LaBelle Winery Derry holds a blindfolded wine tasting at 6 p.m. Attendees will try five wines while blindfolded during each session, relying on their senses of smell and taste to guess which is which. Admission is $43.40 per person and includes tax.

Featured photo: Photos courtesy of Black Bear Vineyard in Salisbury.

The Weekly Dish 22/09/22

News from the local food scene

• Greek night out: Join St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church (500 W. Hollis St., Nashua) for its annual Taverna Night on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 7 to 11 p.m. The event will include an evening of Greek appetizers, desserts, dancing and live music from the local band Ta Pethia. Admission is $35 for adults and $20 for attendees under 18. Visit stphilipnashua.com.

• A world of wines: Tuscan Market (9 Via Toscana, Salem) will hold its 10th annual Passeggiata wine tasting on Friday, Sept. 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 per person and will include sampling access to more than 25 different types of wines, along with light food options and raffle prizes. Visit tuscanbrands.com.

Join WineNot Boutique (25 Main St., Nashua) for Wines of Italy, a special wine tasting event happening on Wednesday, Sept. 28 — three sessions are available, from 5 to 6 p.m., 6 to 7 p.m. or 7 to 8 p.m. More than a dozen Italian wines will be available to taste, along with cheeses and charcuterie accoutrements to enhance the experience. The cost is $20 per person. Visit winenotboutique.com.

• Fall brews: To Share Brewing Co. (720 Union St., Manchester) holds its annual Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 1 to 9 p.m. The event centers around the release of To Share’s most popular seasonal beer, its Oktoberfest altbier — also included will be various Oktoberfest-themed snackboards, and pretzels courtesy of The Hop Knot. Stein hoisting competitions will be held at 4 and 6 p.m. (space is limited). Admission is free and no reservations are required. Visit tosharebrewing.com.

Save the date for the second annual Fall Fest at Northwoods Brewing Co. (1334 First New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood) on Sunday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to multiple beer releases — including a special double IPA in collaboration with Forever Locked and the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire — the festival will feature a craft market, live music all day, demonstrations, a special exhibit and more. Proceeds from this year’s event benefit Wings of the Dawn, with a dollar of every pint sold going directly to the organization. Visit northwoodsbrewingcompany.com.

Red, White & Brew, a craft beer and wine festival presented by Veterans Count, returns to Funspot (579 Endicott St. N., Laconia) on Saturday, Sept. 24, with VIP admittance from noon to 1 p.m. and general admittance from 1 to 4 p.m. The event also features food, a car show, raffles, an auction and live music from The Bob Pratte Band. Tickets are $25 general admission, $40 VIP admission and $10 for designated drivers. Admission for all attendees includes sampling tickets and a commemorative wine glass while supplies last. Visit vetscount.org.

• Manchester liquor store now open: The New Hampshire Liquor Commission opened a new Liquor & Wine Outlet store in Manchester on Sept. 8, according to a press release. The 13,000-square-foot store is at 850 Gold St. in the Queen City, featuring a selection of more than 4,000 sizes and varieties of wines and spirits. According to the release, the NHLC announced it has also begun construction on a new outlet in Nashua, which is expected to be ready to open by May 2023. Since 2012, the NHLC has opened or renovated new Outlet locations in more than 30 communities statewide. Visit liquorandwineoutlets.com.

On The Job – Samantha Borbone

Senior caregiver

Samantha Borbone is a senior caregiver and owner of Bee Helpful, which provides non-medical in-home services to seniors in the greater Hampstead area.

Explain your job and what it entails.

As a business owner, I put myself in charge of most tasks and determine what tasks to outsource, like payroll taxes. As a caregiver, I assist seniors who are living in their own home to have the best quality of life that they can. I do this through cooking, cleaning, problem-solving, picking up prescriptions and food, helping with their phones, hanging up pictures or whatever else makes them happy.

How long have you had this job?

I’ve been a business owner for almost three years. I guess I’ve been a caregiver almost all my life, either caring for grandparents, my children, my own aging parents, seniors I volunteer to help and caring for myself.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

Growing up, both of my parents were entrepreneurs, and still are. With their help and a lot of luck, I graduated from Merrimack College with a B.A. in Business. I am a hands-on learner, so sitting in a classroom will never be my best friend. … Later in life, I worked and volunteered in different places, and I found helping people is what I wanted to do for a career. … By volunteering at Community Caregivers of Greater Derry, assisting seniors in their homes, I decided to focus my passion and business skills on helping local senior citizens.

What kind of education or training did you need?

As a business owner, I really just needed to work out in the world and gain confidence and resilience. My business degree is helpful, but it focuses mostly on big business, corporations. I only have one class in small business basics. On the caregiver side, I don’t think you can actually train someone to be a caregiver. I mean, I certainly train the staff in infection control, food safety and proper hand washing, but as a caregiver, you either are or you aren’t. It takes patience and compassion and an open mind to care for family, but especially to care for strangers.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

If working from home, I’m wearing comfy workout clothes. When I work directly with clients, I love my black scrubs with all kinds of pockets, paired with a black logo tee.

How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?

I was scheduled to open April 1, 2020. That did not happen. So I had to do something different. I became an errand service for seniors. I primarily did grocery shopping for clients that first year. I was very lucky that my husband’s job was not affected by the pandemic.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

I wish I knew I wanted to help people for a living. I would’ve gone to school for health and human services.

What was the first job you ever had?

Working for my dad at his warehouse company, helping him unload one-ton bags of talc from train cars. I would climb on top of the bags. He would come at me with the forklift, and I would pick up the four straps attached to the bags and put them on the forks.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Caregiving isn’t about what you hoped to do; it was about understanding what the other person needed. The best business advice, I got from my dad. He said, ‘Never hire family, and read Dale Carnegie’s books.’

Five favorites

Favorite book: The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler M.D.
Favorite movie: National Lampoon’s Vacation
Favorite music: Right now, I love Glass Animals, Bruno Mars and anything happy I know the words to.
Favorite food: Does coffee count? If not, then chocolate.
Favorite thing about NH: The friends I have here, and the mountains, especially Mt. Cardigan.

Featured photo: Samantha Borbone. Courtesy photo.

Harvest Moon gathering

Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum festival returns

By Katelyn Sahagian

[email protected]

For close to 30 years, the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum has hosted an annual harvest festival for people to learn more about Native American tribes and what they do at harvest time.

Andy Bullock, the director of the museum, said that this event, happening this year on Sunday, Sept. 25, is a long-standing tradition for the museum.

“It’s going to be a really great day,” Bullock said.

Bullock said that animals are always a part of the festivities. This year, the museum will have different raptors, an arctic fox named Yuka, a bunny named Gus, and ponies that will be giving rides.

In addition to the animals, families can play traditional games and do different activities, and vendors and artisans will be selling handmade items like beadwork and dreamcatchers. The event will also feature demonstrations on woodworking and leather working, and a special presentation on how to make corn husk dolls.

Bullock said he is particularly excited for the food that will be served at the festival. Most of the food will be from Native recipes, including a stew made from bison that was farmed locally in Warner.

A kids’ activity will focus on the “Three Sisters,” or corn, beans and squash, said Bullock. There will be a corncob game as part of the activity.

The museum will be open during the hours of the festival, Bullock said, and tickets to the festival are included with admission to the museum.

The museum was recently recognized as one of the top 10 Native American museums in the United States, Bullock said. The museum exists to remind people that Native Americans didn’t vanish in New Hampshire.

“There are no federal reservations in New Hampshire, and the state doesn’t recognize local bands of Natives,” Bullock said. “It’s logical to assume for people to think that Natives have been gone for 200 years.”

Bullock said this festival helps keep Native American history alive, and it also encourages people to take time and enjoy the scenery around them.

“A lot of people don’t have the opportunity to just sit out on the hillside and enjoy the day,” Bullock said.

Featured photo: Crafts from last year’s Harvest Moon Festival. Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 22/09/22

Family fun for the weekend

Festival fun

• Presentation of Mary Academy (182 Lowell Road, Hudson) is hosting its annual fall fun fest on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The festival will have events such as ax throwing and a touch-a-truck. There will also be food trucks, face-painting, craft vendors, a bake sale and raffles. Visit pmaschool.org for more information.

• The Town of Chester is closing its year-long series of 300th anniversary celebrations with a Tricentennial Grand Finale festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, beginning at noon at 4 Murphy Drive in Chester. There will be live music and food vendors. The highlight of the day will be a “mega” parade that kicks off at 2 p.m. on Chester Street. The night will close out with a fireworks display at 8 p.m. Visit chesternh300.org for more information.

Movie time

• The three locations of Chunky’s (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham) will have a little lunch date featuring the 2015 movie Home (PG) on Friday, Sept. 23. Home follows Tip, a young girl trying to find her mother after Earth is taken over by the alien race called the Boov. She meets and befriends a runaway Boov named Oh and together they escape the Boov, and search for Tip’s mom. The movie starts at 3:45 p.m. and tickets cost $5. Visit chunkys.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

Outdoor adventures

• Explore the outdoors in a book with author Susie Spikol as she talks about her newest book, The Animal Adventurer’s Guide: How to Prowl For an Owl, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed, at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord) on Saturday Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. The book is filled with crafts, activities and adventures children can go on in their backyard. Spikol is bringing a craft for attendees to participate in at the event. The event is free to attend and more information about it can be found at gibsonsbookstore.com.

• The annual Fairy House Tours are back this year on Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. There will be hundreds of little fairy houses on the grounds of the Strawbery Banke Museum, Governor John Langdon House, Prescott Park Arts Festival and the Gundalow waterfront. There will also be fairy inspired dances by the Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater, performed at the Prescott Park Arts Festival’s main stage in the gardens of the Governor John Langdon House and The Players’ Ring. Tickets cost $12 for an adult, $8 for a senior, $6 for a child, or $30 for a family of four. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit friendsofthesouthend.betterworld.org.

• Get ready to search high and low at the 5th Annual Great MassabeSEEK Scavenger Hunt on Sunday, Sept. 25, at the New Hampshire Audubon Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way, Auburn). The event will run from 1 to 4 p.m. and there will be several activities throughout the day, including a s’mores bonfire, yard games, a live animal exhibit, a craft room and more. Tickets for people ages 12 and older are $25, for ages 3 to 11 they are $15, and children younger than 3 are free. To register or for more information, visit nhaudubon.org

• The Bow Mills United Methodist Church (505 South St., Bow) is hosting its 17th Annual Pumpkin Patch starting on Monday, Sept. 26. The pumpkin patch currently has more than 1,000 pumpkins in it. The patch is open weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. The pumpkin patch will remain open until Oct. 31. For more information, visit bowmillsumc.org.

Treasure Hunt 22/09/22

Good afternoon, Donna.

I’m wondering if you could help me in determining the worth of a Noritake tea service for six that I picked up at an estate sale a few weeks ago (in excellent condition). After contacting Noritake I was able to find one picture online but no price. I’ve included a few pictures for you to see, including the one naming the pattern that I found online. I would appreciate any assistance you could provide.

Thank you so much.

Tanya

Dear Tanya,

Your Noritake lusterware luncheon set was a very popular item during World War II. There were many mass-produced and some ended up here in the U.S. There are many patterns and different lusters as well, from blue like yours to peach and other colors. Some more unusual patterns can bring a higher value. Because so many ended up in china cabinets, the lusterware survived till today. Complete sets will have more value, as will odd matching pieces.

The desirability of the sets now is a matter of which ones, colors, patterns and condition. A set like yours would run in the range of $100 and up to the collector.

I’m not sure if they still provide research and price guide books in bookstores any longer. If not and you need more information, you should be able to search online for Noritake lusterware and come up with lots of information.

Thanks for sharing with us.

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